Worry, anxiety, fear – they are the terrible threesome.

Worry is that gnawing in your soul about a problem or an uncertainty. Often short-lived, worry prods you to seek out a solution.

When you give space to the worry and let it live rent-free in your mind, it gives birth to anxiety.

Anxiety is that vague apprehension about an unspecified threat or circumstance. You can’t put a finger to it but anxiety leaves you breathless, shaky and dizzy.

Finally it explodes into fear, a visceral reaction to an imminent threat that heightens your senses and prepares you to fight or flee.

The Bible makes less fine a distinction, using a single Greek word for “anxiety”, “worry” or “care”: Merimna. But God is very clear about what to do with our anxiety.

Just as Jesus used God’s Word to battle temptation, here are some verses that you can dwell on to fortify your heart and mind when you are anxious.

Whenever you are anxious, speak these verses out, meditate on them and turn them into prayers.

Why you don’t have to be anxious

The Bible is emphatic about worry, anxiety and fear. The constant command is DON’T. Don’t worry, don’t be anxious and don’t be afraid.

Not only does the Bible say not to worry, it gives us many reasons not to.

1. God is with you

One of the biggest reasons God gives us for not giving in to worries, anxieties and fear is that He is with us.

Knowing that God is with us is a great comfort whenever we are anxious. Photo from Depositphotos.com.

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Isaiah 43:1
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Romans 8:31
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2. God is for you

God being with us isn’t just a passive presence. He is actively on our side, fighting for us, victorious on our behalf. With God as a bulwark against life’s challenges, we need not be anxious.

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?

Hebrews 13:6
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Deuteronomy 3:22
Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God Himself will fight for you.

3. God will take care of your needs

Matthew 6:25-27
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

As He cares for His creature in Nature, so He will care for us. That is His assurance for us when we are anxious. Photo from Depositphotos.com.

4. God has given you His peace

The idea of peace – shalom (Hebrew) or eiréné (Greek) – as God sees it, is not just about the absence of war or strife but a presence of wholeness and completeness. God’s peace makes us whole, complete, lacking in nothing. With that, God tells us we have nothing about which to be anxious.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

5. God has given you His comfort

We need not be anxious because God is our comforter.

Psalm 94:19
When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

6. God has given you a non-anxious spirit

With God’s Spirit within us, we need not give in to our anxieties.

His Holy Spirit in us gives us the power to choose not to be anxious. We are not helpless and hapless, held hostage by our emotions.

Empowered by God’s Spirit, we can choose not to be anxious. Photo from Depositphotos.com.

Romans 8:15
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba Father.” 

2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

What to do with your anxiety

Knowing that we need not be anxious is one thing, but it does not always prevent intrusive thoughts and the ensuing emotions of anxiety. The Bible is aware of this and has equipped us with to-do’s when anxiety assails us.

1. Pray

Instead of worrying and allowing worry to grow into anxiety, pray.

When we are anxious, our focus is on the unknown. When we pray, our focus pivots to God. That takes our minds off the very things that feed our anxiety.

Prayer turns us Godward and helps alleviate our anxiety. Photo from Depositphotos.com.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2. Look to God

Prayer steers our focus towards God. We are encouraged to continue our God-ward gaze when we are anxious.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord, and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Psalm 16:8
I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3. Give Him your anxieties

Then, we surrender our anxieties to God. Surrender may seem like giving up, but it isn’t.

The reality is that there is nothing we can do about the unknown. To surrender is to give ourselves over to Someone who can do something about it. It is action. To give up is simply to stop trying. That is true inaction.

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Psalm 55:22
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

4. Trust Him

To persist in that surrender, we need to trust God.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

5. Abide in Him and His Word

Meditating on the Word of God anchors us and transforms our minds so that we are better able to trust in God.

God’s Word transforms our minds so that we can battle anxiety. Photo from Depositphotos.com.

Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Philippians 4:8
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

6. Look to an eternal future

The unknown is frightening but we our future isn’t unknown. In fact, if we have repented of our sins and given our lives to God, our future is sure and secure. When a mid-term uncertainty confronts us, we need to look at our long-term certainty.

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

What to do when someone you love is anxious

Listening to someone with anxiety can be tiring because struggling with anxiety can be a long-term affair.

Here are some verses that can encourage you as you encourage someone else.

Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

Isaiah 35:4
Say to those with fearful hearts: “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.

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